1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispensing head comprising an elastic flow reducing element for a product of a liquid-to-viscous consistency, as well as to a dispensing unit fitted with this dispensing head.
2. Description of the Related Art
The dispensing unit is intended more particularly to equip a reservoir containing a product and to permit the dispensing of this product in good condition. This product may be a cosmetic, dermatological or food product, such as for example, a shampoo, a foaming gel for a shower, a hair gel, liquid soap, a face cream, body lotion, a liquid foundation cream or a household product, a liquid glue.
The aim of the invention is, in particular, a dispensing unit of the kind which comprises a semirigid or flexible reservoir, fitted with a rigid or semirigid dispensing head provided with an elastically deformable dispensing opening.
Thus, from European Patent No. 395 380, for example FIGS. 6 and 7, a tube for a liquid product is fitted with a dispensing head that has a cap provided with an opening for the emergence of the product, the opening being closed by an elastic membrane, in which there is a slit. The membrane is attached to a rigid portion of the cap. Fastening means hold the membrane in position on the dispensing head. According to this document, the elastic slit ensures sealing of the tube in relation to the outside, the closing of the slit being effected automatically. When the user exerts pressure on the side wall of the tube, the edges of the slit move apart from one another under the thrust of the product and close a gain when the thrust of the product stops. The edges of the slit are contiguous, which renders superfluous the closing of the outlet opening by a stopper. Generally, the making of contiguous slits is obtained by a mechanical cutting of the membrane by a cutting tool.
However, this tube has drawbacks both in use and in manufacture indeed, in order to cause a dose of the product to emerge by pressure on the tube, the user must press strongly at the start to cause the slit to open; the start of the dispensing is then effected in a sudden manner. Because of this strong pressing, the product emerges from the open slit at high speed and surprises the user. Thus, by the time the user becomes aware of this emergence and stops pressing on the tube, an unduly large quantity of the product has already emerged from the reservoir, thus making a precise dosing of the product difficult. As for the manufacture of this dispensing head, the making of the slit effected by cutting the membrane requires the membrane to be taken up again on an additional piece of equipment. This extra step considerably increases the cost of this dispensing head of the prior art. As a result, such a dispensing head is not suitable for widely distributed products such as a shampoo or a dishwashing product, for which the price must be moderate.